Merengue is still the happiest and most danceable form of Latin
American music , says Eddy Herrera ( eg known from the hit Carolina ) .
This statement gives in a nutshell , what is about merengue .
For indeed merengue is a very cheerful Latin American music and
dance style (even though there are many sad merengue , but that aside )
and also very danceable . The merengue is from the Dominican Republic , a country on one
of the Greater Antilles , the island of Hispaniola , which the Dominican
Republic has to share with Haiti . On this island and exactly in the agricultural region Siboa ,
the merengue is created . This must be done so in the first half of the 19th century .

Also applies to the merengue , he arose from both European and
African influences and instruments . The traditional merengue is played with a tambora , a drum with
a stick as well as hand is played and is responsible for the
unmistakable rumble between the fourth and first tel Then there is the "
guiro " , a grater , usually of metal , which is generally played with an afro comb
and a high rasping , honing brings to hiss forth . Indispensable in traditional merengue , merengue tipico either ,
is the accordion . Very soon the merengue is extended with a saxophone , playing an
important role in the response tirelessly on the vocals. Later have now added again : the piano , a horn , bongos and
other percussion and synthesizers . Often, these additions were at the expense of the accordion .

The merengue is used in its history for many political purposes
. Thus it was used shortly after arose to turn it off against its
neighbor Haiti . Themselves In the period from 1930 to 1961 is the merengue used by the then
dictator Trujillo . This dictator , who comes from the rural area , so did many of
the merengue , he wanted to make sure that he could hear them and
dancing at any party where he appeared . He therefore declared to national merengue music. A second reason why he did this , was to bullying , which until
then looked down at the merengue . Ancient ( urban ) elite This development has Merengue an enormous boost in the first
instance .
The number Merengue orchestras grew explosively . It was also used as the merengue export product : strong radio
blew the merengue far in the Caribbean . There was also a musical side to the political interference in
the merengue . Trujillo tolerated , as befits a dictator , no development .
The merengue was therefore stabbing at the level of the thirties
. Only after Trujillo place made ​​the development of the merengue
continued. Continued to be the merengue for political purposes , even at
that time initially against Trujillo and later as a protest to the U.S.
invasion in 1965 .

Since the sixties , the development of a true merengue boomed
with the introduction of new instruments and techniques . The modern merengue now blow your speakers off when turning
bands all the Coco Band, Rockabanda , Frescabanda and Rikarena .
However, all these bands keep it stuck to the roots of the
merengue , the guiro and saxophone almost never fail and the tambora you
usually find back. You can not often say the hybrids which occasionally arise in
which merengue mixed with rap or reggae or disco thump . There is however still a lot of merengue tipico made ​​.
The example is still fresh in the memory ( though it's been a
while ago , on a Wednesday night in Groningen played Francisco Uloa You
know not Who do you think is responsible for that ultra fast merengue on
the CD Fogarete of . ? Juan Luis Guerra/4.40 .